​About Art Therapy & Psychotherapy

I am a fully accredited professional Art Therapist having gained a Master’s Degree (First class honours) in Art Therapy from Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork, in 2010, and I am currently finishing my training as a Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapist with the Tivoli Institute in Dublin.I am a member of the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists (IACAT), a student associate of the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP), and member of the Psychologists Protection Society (PPS).

Art therapy is a specialist form of psychotherapy and involves art making as part of the process of therapy. The participant creates their own artistic expressions through the use of a variety of art materials and is supported by a trained professional to explore their creativity within a contained therapeutic setting.

It can often be difficult to communicate feelings through words alone so the engagement with art can assist in externalising inner conflicts and problems. Art therapy can provide an outlet for self-expression, reduce stress, increase self-esteem, develop interpersonal skills, and offer insight to resolve personal issues.

Being ‘good’ at art is not important as simple marks are as significant as a detailed image.

Art therapy is used with children, adolescents and adults in a variety of health care settings such as Palliative care, People with disabilities, Psychiatry, Cancer care, Prisons, Hospitals, and within Schools.